“Me neither.” Laurel slid a glance toward me. “My mom dragged me without consent.”
I waved, smiling brightly. “Hi, I’m Sutton, the mean mom.”
Cami was shocked for half a second, a look I’d been seeing the entirety of my daughter’s life, before she shot me a smile. “Hi! My mom’s around here somewhere too.” She glanced down the street before turning back to us with a shrug. “I think they mostly just hang out at One Night Stan’s, reliving their childhood book-fair days.” Then to Laurel, she said, “It’ssoboring. You should come hang out with us.”
I squeezed Laurel’s arm twice, our silent signal asking if she needed my help. She didn’t squeeze back, so I took that as a good sign. I turned to her with raised brows. “Yeah, I wouldn’t want you bored out of your mind any more than you already are.”
“Yeah, okay,” Laurel said, stepping toward Cami. “I guess I can hang out for a while.”
“Keep your phone on,” I said. “Text me when you’re ready to go.”
“’Kay. Stay sexy and don’t get murdered.”
Cami’s eyes lit up with recognition. She gripped Laurel’s elbow and shook it as they headed in the opposite direction. “Oh my god, are you a Murderino?”
A grin curved up the corners of my mouth as I watched them walk away, grateful for this tiny bit of normalcy in my daughter’s life. She’d been tight-lipped on the details of school life, but it made me feel better to know she had at least one friend her age in this town.
But now that my date had abandoned me, I needed to find something to do while she enjoyed herself for a bit.
I walked down the street, strolling past various storefronts, some of which had tables set up out front with their wares. Candles, body products, cooking supplies, and?—
I did a double take at the table set up under a tent, a bright-pink glittery sign hanging at the back and sex toys spread out on the table like a buffet. Holy shit, Quinn hadn’t been joking. Thishadto be Mabel.
With my brows raised, I stepped over and said, “So, you reallydosell sex toys at any town event.”
“Hush, now,” she hissed at me. She was an older white woman, anywhere between sixty and eighty. Her gray hair was curled tightly and cropped close, and she wore a shirt that readI still like to play with toys. They’re just for grown-ups now.
“These arepersonal massagers,” she said loudly enough for any passersby to hear. Then she braced a hand on the table and leaned closer to me, lowering her voice so it stayed between just the two of us. “The personal massagers bit is to appease the fuddy-duddies on the town council. But yes, they are sex toys,and I’m happy to help you with whatever you need! I’m Mabel, by the way. And you must be Sutton.”
The shock I felt at having her know who I was must’ve been written across my face, because she shot me a grin.
“There aren’t many secrets in Starlight Cove. I’m in book club with Atlas’s mom. Plus, I had my annual physical yesterday and saw you in passing. I didn’t get a chance to introduce myself because I had to get home to George. Our Liberator chair arrived, and I needed to tell him where to put it.”
Holy shit, I wanted to be her when I grew up. “Good for you. Anything that makes positions a bit easier, am I right?”
She grinned broadly before resting a hand on my arm. “I wanted to tell you I’m sorry we couldn’t host you in our home like we did for Quinn when she moved back into town. But George and I decided we wanted to have a bit morefunwith the space.”
With the way she said “fun,” I had no doubt she was talking about sexy-time fun. And honestly, good for her. I loved seeing an older queen getting hers. Between these toys and her new Liberator, her house was going to be rocking, and I, for one, didn’t want to get in the way.
“I hope that cottage of Atlas’s is treating you right,” she said with a wink. “Though I’m sure he’s taken care of you nicely.”
I narrowed my eyes at the unmistakable sexual undercurrent in her tone. Something I wanted to clear up real quick—never mind that it was true. As far as I was concerned, that had happened in a different lifetime. Both of us had hit the restart button when we’d walked away from that hotel room.
And the last thing I needed was rumors about the new single mom in town climbing the brick wall.
“Not gonna lie, Mabel, he’s been challenging.” I eyed her collection spread out in between us. “And I think a new toy for a new town is exactly what I need. Tell me, which is your favorite?”
Fifteen minutes later,I left Mabel and strolled off with a brand-newPussy Destroyer—a clit-slash-G-spot-penetrator combo—clutched in my not-at-all-discreet hot-pink bag. That woman had a story about everyone. She should’ve been wearing a crown emblazoned with “Gossip Queen” for all the tea she’d served. My brain was full of information, and I could definitely say it had been time well spent.
Not only had I found out that there was a website dedicated solely to fanfic written about Starlight Cove’s sheriff, Brady McKenzie, but I also got an invitation to her infamous book club. While it sounded like fun, I wasn’t sure it was such a good idea for me to be in a book club with the mother of the man whose dick I’d ridden with abandon just last week.
An outdoor area was set up in front of One Night Stan’s, the local bar Mabel had directed me to. And she’d been right—this seemed like the place to be, with not an open stool in sight. Fortunately, someone was just leaving as I walked by, so I snagged their spot and settled at the bar.
A guy about my age stood behind it as he served waiting patrons, a dazzling smile on his face the entire time. I’d worked enough bartending gigs to make ends meet that I had no doubt he was raking in the tips. With that laugh and those dimples? Yeah, he was definitely killing it.
“Hey there.” He gave me a quick once-over, one side of his mouth ticking up. “You’re new.”
I raised my brows. “How long do I have to be in Starlight Cove before I’m no longer new? It’s been a week already.”
